September is Healthy Aging Month, and AFC Urgent Care is dedicated to helping our patients maintain healthy and happy lives as they age. As you age, your healthcare needs become more unique. Situations might arise that are scarier as a senior adult than they would have been if you were 20 years younger. At AFC Urgent Care, we understand the special nature of senior adult health concerns, and are equipped to provide a positive, comfortable and relaxing healthcare experience that potentially can save worried seniors a trip to the emergency room. Read on to find out why we’re a better alternative to the emergency room for non-life threatening healthcare needs.
Urgent Care Is Cheaper Than the ER
Urgent care centers can do more than you might think, and for a much better price than the average emergency room. Emergency rooms (ERs) typically have higher costs than urgent care centers to maintain the equipment needed to deal with hundreds or thousands of complex health events every day. This drives up the cost of emergency room care to an average of three times more than an urgent care center. Most urgent care centers have the equipment to deal with common senior ailments and health concerns – as long as your trauma is not life-threatening, an urgent care center can take care of you. From cuts and fractures to open wounds and acute illnesses, a physician at an urgent care clinic can treat you without a massive bill at the end.
Urgent Care Is More Comfortable
According to a survey that appeared in the 2011 Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, many seniors report that their time in an emergency room ranges from unpleasant to harmful. Seniors often report becoming “cold, hungry, thirsty” in emergency rooms, and many are concerned about the lack of privacy and disorienting environment. With fewer patients, physicians in urgent care centers are able to better serve all patients, so your needs are more likely to be addressed in a timely manner.
Fewer People and Faster Treatments
Urgent care is less wait time and cost than the emergency room. The environment at AFC Urgent Care tends to be calmer, and by visiting us instead of an ER, you free up the ER’s time to help patients who are facing life-threatening injuries or health events. The only times an ER is a better option are during the hours your urgent care center is closed and when you feel you might be facing a life-threatening condition.
AFC Urgent Care knows that it can be frightening to suffer an adverse health event as a senior adult, and our board certified physicians take care to deliver a detailed diagnoses and medical advice to put your mind at ease. Managing your health can be easy, with the assistance and care from a dedicated urgent care center.
We are open every day and no appointment is necessary.
